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Against all logic and with a shocking lack of compassion, House Republicans and President Trump are plowing ahead with yet another attempt to pass the American Health Care Act. With the addition of the MacArthur amendment, this already dangerous bill has been made worse by completely gutting vital protections for people with pre-existing conditions.

Protect Our Care Illinois stands in fierce opposition to this legislation, which will strip insurance away from more than 1 million Illinoisans, steal $40 billion in federal funds from our Medicaid program, and result in the loss of 60,000 jobs. The new MacArthur amendment is a despicable and shocking “compromise,” which will cause premiums to skyrocket for all Illinoisans with pre-existing conditions. Under this new plan, a person who has breast cancer in Illinois would likely pay $29,840 more per year in premiums, a pregnant woman would pay $18,020 more per year in premiums, and a parent would pay an extra $4,520 per year in premiums if their child has asthma.

“The American Health Care Act, now with the MacArthur amendment, is undeniably cruel and fiscally irresponsible,” said Dave Lowitzki, campaign manager for Protect Our Care Illinois. “There is not a single member of Congress that can claim to support people with pre-existing conditions while also supporting this bill, which will gut the protections that ensure health plans are affordable and comprehensive enough to meet the needs of people combating illnesses.”

The American Health Care Act does not respond to the concerns of Illinoisans and Protect Our Care Illinois urges every member of the Illinois Congressional Delegation and Governor Rauner to publicly and loudly condemn this dangerous bill.

Protect Our Care Illinois is a statewide coalition of health care advocates, providers, consumers, and workers, working to prevent the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), prevent disastrous changes to Medicaid, and protect and expand access to quality affordable health care.

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